Type-writing machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L'. J. ODELL. v TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Au'g.1 8, 1891.

n4: NONI! Parana cm, maro-Lrmm, mnsummbb, n. c.

(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. J. ODELL.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 457,840. PatentedA u-g. 18, 1891.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets -Sheet 3.

L, J. ODELL. TYPE WRITING MAGHINE.

No. 457,840. Patented Aug. 18, 1891.

1145 "0am PETERS In, fiumnrmo msmncrron, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI J. ODELL, OF LAKE GENEVA, IVISCON SIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ODELL TYPEIVRITER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,840, dated August18, 1891.

Application filed March 24, 1890. Serial No. 345,052 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI J. ODELL, of Lake Geneva, in the county ofWalworth and State of Visconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Type-\Vriting Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in the type-writing machine forcertain parts of which Letters Patent of the United States No. 399,205were granted to me March 5,

In the drawings, Figure l is a top or plan view of the type-writer. Fig.2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of thetype-bar and its supporting frame or carriage, with an elevation of thefinger-lever and connecting-rod by which the type-bar is tilted, as seenfrom that side which is at the top in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aside elevationof the top type-bar and its supporting frame or carriage, the centralportion being broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 5 is aview from the under side of a portion of the type-bar. Fig. 6 is a topview of the alarm-bell and the striking mechanism relating thereto. Fig.7 is a side elevation of the alarm-bell and of the mechanism forstriking it, with the cylindrical platen in cross-section. Fig. 8 is adetail of the tilting mechanism for striking the alarm-bell shown atright angles to Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a top view of a removablecharacter-plate and comb placed on the letter-plate and comb of themachine, in connection with the type-bar. Fig. 10 is an edge view of theremovable character-plate and comb. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of thetype-bar provided with perforating-type. Fig. 12 is a view of the underside of a portion of the perforating-type bar.

A is a base-plate of such size and form as to properly support theentire mechanism mounted thereon.

B B are ways constructed on the base-plate, in which ways a carriage Ctravels endwise, on which carriage a revoluble cylindrical platen D isjournaled. This platen is a round metal rod having a rubber coveringforming a yielding surface adapted to receive thereon the stroke of thetype. The paper on which the printing is to be done is curved partially5 about and carried on this platen, close to which it is held and guidedby the sheetmetal guide E, affixed at one edge of the carriage C andcurved partially about the platen D. with a milled head F, by which theplaten may be rotated, and a loose collar G, provided with a thumb-pieceG, rides on the journal of the platen, which collar is provided Thejournal of the platen is provided with a gravity-pawl H, pivoted on thecollar 6 5 G, which pawl is adapted to engage arack H on the journal ofthe platen, and by means of this loose collar and pawl, in connectionwith the rack on the journal, the platen may be rotated limitedlythrough a prescribed are wardly-extending lever L is pivoted at itslower end to the base-plate A, and is provided with aforwardly-extending thumb-piece L. A pawl M is pivoted in the top of thelever L, and is adapted to engage with a rack N on the carriageC. Thepawl M is provided with a forwardly-extending thumb-piece M. Aretrieving-spring O is attached at one end to the lever L, and at theother end to the post P, fixed on the base plate A. A stud R projectingdownwardly rigidly from the ver- 0 tically-moving type bar suppportingchanneled bar S, (hereinafter to be more fully described,) is adapted,as the channeled bar S is forced downwardly, to strike against thethumb-piece L and force the pawl M forward 5 suiiiciently to engage thenext tooth of the rack N, and thereupon as the channeled bar is raisedthe retrieving-spring 0 through pawl M forces the carriage-C rearwardlya prescribed distance.

Two arms 13 13, rigid on or integral with post P, project forwardlytherefrom, and a let- IOO ter-platc 14, located at right angles to theplaten D, is secured rigidly to the ends of the arms 13 13. Thelettenplate 14.- has impressed therein or affixed thereon the letters ofthe alphabet occupying a portion of the length of the plate, thenumerals, marks of punctuation, and other characters occupying in twolines the remaining longitudinal portion of the plate. A comb 15, onerecess of which is in front of each one of the letters on theletter-plate, and in front of each two numerals or characters on theletter-plate, is adapted to receive and guide the stylus on thetype-bar, thereby guiding and moving the type-bar into the exactposition necessary to properly print a letter above the platen D.

Atype-bar frame T, consisting of the channeled bar S and two rigidrearwardly-extending arms 16 16, is pivoted at the rear ends of the arms16 16 to the arms 13 13, opposite the post P. The bar S is located infront of and parallel to the letter-plate 14, and has a limitedoscillating movement vertically a little in front of and below the comb15. A spring 17, affixed at one end to the post P, bears at its free endagainst the under side of a projection on an arm 16, and is adapted tohold the channeled bar S upward yieldingly. A slight yielding stop 18 issecured rigidly at one end to the arm 13 13, and projects forwardly,terminating over the platen D at such a point as to receive against itsfree end the downward thrust of the channeled bar S about atthemoment'of its reaching its extreme movement downwardly. The channeledbar S is open at the top throughout its entire length, and is opencentrally at the bottom above the platen. l.) and for a little distanceon each side of the platen. The channeled bar S is provided withlongitudinal ways 19 19 in its side walls, in which the type-bar ortype-bar frame is supported and travels.

The type-bar in my improved device is supported in a frame or carriage20, consisting of the elongated plate or bar 21, havingdownwardly-projecting lugs or cars 22 22, in which the type-bar 23 isjournaled. This type-bar 23 is provided with two longitudinal faces 2eand 25, which in transverse section are located at a slight angle toeach other, the transverse line of the two faces of the bar beingpreferably the chords of a circle about the axis of the type-bar, thecircle having a radius of the same length as the distance of the edgesof the faces from the axis of the type-bar. On these faces areconstructed two ditferent sets of letters and characters. Thus, on theface 24 are placed the capital letters, the numerals, and, if desired,such characters as s, or and on the face 25 are the small letters, marksof puncttuation, and fractions or other characters. The arrangement andnumber of the characters may be varied to suit the user; but the smallletters 011 face 25 are placed opposite the same capital letters on face24:, and the location of the letters, figures, and characters on theletter-plate being such with reference to the comb l5 and the letters,figures, and

characters on the type-bar that when. the stylus 26, affixed to thetype-bar, is adjusted to enter a recess of the comb opposite a letter,figure, or character, the same letter, figure,-or character-on thetype-bar will be over the platen D centrally. The letters, figures, andcharacters on the faces of the type-bar are in raised type so as to beadapted to print on paper above the platen D. This type-bar 23 isprovided with rigid pins 27 27, one on each side, adapted to strikeagainst the under surface of the bar 21 and prevent the tilting of thetype-bar, except only in one direction to such limited extent as isnecessary to bring the face 24 into position directly downwardly fromthe axis of the type-bar, in which position the type-bar is adapted forprinting the letters on face 24. and in the other direction so as tobringthe face 25 into position directly downwardly from the axis of thebar, in which position the type-bar is adapted for printing the letters,figures, or characters on the face 25.

To enable the operator to tilt the type-bar while the machine is inuse,a finger-plate 28 is pivoted centrally on a post 29 fixed in the bar21, which plate 28 is connected by a rod 30 to the type-bar, the rodbeing pivoted to an ear on plate 28 and car on the type-bar. Thetype-bar is locked yieldingly in position with the face 2a or the face25 directly downwardly by the retrieving-spring 31, secured at one endto a bracket 32, fixed on the bar 21, and at the other end to an arm 33,fixed in the end of the journal of the type-bar and projecting therefromradially through the prolonged line of junction of tie faces 24 and 25.By this construction when the outer end of the arm 33 is thrust to theright or left of the axis of the type-bar the retrieving-spring locks ityieldingly in that position, the spring being sufliciently elastic toreadily yield to fingerpressure on the plate 28. It will be under stoodthat by this construction the operator can tilt the type-bar readily, soas to print the letters, figures, or characters on either the face 24 or25 in such sequence as desired while shifting the type-bar to right orleft by the thumb and finger of the right hand grasping the stylus 26,the little finger being used to tilt the plate 28. The stylus 26 isprovided with a downwardly-proj ecting guide 34, adapted to enter therecesses of the comb 15.

An inking-roller 35, constructed of some absorbing material, isjournaled on elastic arms 36 36, by which itis held yieldingly againstthe type in the open space in the bottom of the channeled bar S. Theelastic arms 36 36 are secured to the free upper ends of the bifurcatelever 37, which is pivoted at its lower end on the base-plate A. Aconnecting-rod 38 is secured at one end to the lever 37 and at the otherend to the stud R, the connecting-rod being arranged at an angle to thelever 37, so that as the channeled bar Sis forced downwardly the lever37 will be forced outwardly toward the left, and as the channeled bar Srises the lever 37 will be drawn inwardly toward the right, wherebytheinking-roller 35 is caused to reciprocate in front of and against theletters on the type-bar above the platen D with each downward and upwardmotion of the channeled bar S.

For giving an alarm to the operator, a small bell 39 is suspended by anarm from the rear of the arms 13 13, which bell is arranged to be struckby a centrally-pivoted swinging lever-clapper 40, having at one end aknob 41 for that purpose. This lever 40 is pivoted to the arms 13 and isprovided with a trippingrod 42 depending therefrom. The rod 42 is sopivoted in the outer arm of the lever 40 that it swings freely in onedirection, while in the other direction it engages adownwardly-extending lug 43, integral with the lever 40, whereby the rodis' held vertically against swinging in the other direction. Atripping-arm 44, sliding on the rod I, is secured adj ustably thereto bymeans of a setscrew 45, turning through the tripping-arm against therod. This tripping-arm 44 is constructed and arranged to engage thetrippingrod 42 as the carriage 0 moves toward the rear of the machine,and thereby to swing the lever 40, carrying the knob 41, away from thebell until the tripping-rod 42 slips off the tripping-arm 44, when theknob is thrown sharply against the bell by the resilience of the spring46, which is affixed at one end to the bell-supporting arm and at theother end is connected movably to the lever 40. lVhen the carriage C isreturned to the front, the tripping-arm 44 merely swings the trippingrod 42 in the manner shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8 without moving thelever 40. The tripping-arm 44 can be adjusted and secured on the rod Iat any place desired, so that the alarm may be given at any particularpoint of the movement of the carriage.

In the use of checks, bills of exchange,

promissory notes, and other similar papers expressing valuableconsideration, it is found desirable to perforate or so mark theinstrument with the numeral-characters as to protect the same againstany improper change of the amount stated therein. For this purpose Ihave provided an additional type-bar 47, having a stylus 48, whichtype-bar is adapted to be inserted and travel in the channeled .bar S.This type-bar is provided with type representing the nine digits, acipher, a dollar-mark, and a star, and may be provided with othercharacters, if desired. The type 49 49 on this bar 27 are constructedwith a series of downwardly-projecting teeth or points in the form ofthe figures and characters represented, which points are adapted toperforate the paper while at the same time they may be inked withindelible ink supplied by the inking-roller 35. By this form of typehaving the serrated toothed or pointed construction the paper may beperforated'and the apertures so inked as to be entirely ineradicablewhile the apertures cannot be filled in as has been done where thefigures were cut from the paper. As the type used for this perforatingprocess are preferably much larger than the type ordinarily used on thetype-bar, I provide a removable characterplate 50, on which the samefigures and characters are arranged in the same order as they are on thetype-bar 47, and this characterplate 50 is provided with a comb 51,having recesses that are twice as far apart as the re cesses in the comb15, so that when the plate 50 is placed upon the plate 14, the recessesin the comb 51 register with every other recess in the comb 15. Theletters and characters on the plate 50 are located opposite the recessin the comb 51, and the type 49 on the typebar 47 are arrangedatcorresponding distances apart. To secure the removable plate 50 inposition on the plate 14 this plate 50 is provided with a central hook52, and with hooks 53 53 at the ends of laterally-extending arms 54 54,which hooks are adapted to engage the plate 14 at its front and rear,respectively, and hold the plate 50 in position removably thereon. Othermeans of securing the removable plate 50 to the plate 14 could be used.

Instead of the removable plate 50 the plate 14 could be used, havingthereon the numerals and characters properly arranged for use with 'atype-bar 47, having perforating-type 49, or perforating-type like thetype 49 could be constructed on the type-bar ordinarily used with thetype-writing machine, the perforating-type being provided instead ofsome of the type thereon, or being added thereto by extension of thetype-bar longitudinally.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a type-writing-machine, the combination,with avertically-oscillating frame hinged at one side to a fixed support, buthaving no lateral motion thereon, of an independent type-bar framesupported and sliding horizontally in ways in the verticallyoscillatingframe parallel with and at a distance from the axis of oscillation, anda type-bar having two sets of type in longitudinal parallel lines, whichbar is pivoted in the type-bar frame, being thereby tiltabletransversely of its long axis independently of the type-bar frame,substantially as described.

2. In a type-writing machine having an elongated type-bar frame orcarriage constructed to travel endwise on ways therefor in the machine,a type-bar having thereon two sets of fixed type arranged in parallellines at an angle to each other, which type-baris journaled in thetype-bar frame so as to be tiltable limitedly laterally therein, aspring secured to the type-bar frame and to an arm on the type-bar, andso arranged as to swing past the axis of the bar when the bar tilts, thespring being adapted to act as a yielding lock to the type-bar, andmeans for tilting the type-bar, substantially as described.

3. In a type-writing machine having a movable type-bar frame, a type-barhaving two parallel lines of fixed type arranged at an angle to eachother, which type-bar is journaled in the type-bar frame so as to betiltable laterally therein, a tilting finger-plate pivoted on thetype-bar frame and connected movably to the type-bar, and means forlocking the type-bar in position yieldingly, substantially as described.

4. In a type-writing machine having a fixed letter-plate and a combtherewith, a removable letter-plate having numerals, characters, orletters thereon, a comb rigid or integral therewith,the recesses ofwhich comb are arranged to register with a portion only of the recessesof the fixed comb, and means, substantially as described, for securingthe removable comb temporarily to the fixed comb.

5. In a type-writing machine having a fixed letter-plate and comb and aparallel oscillating type-bar-supporting frame, a removable letter-platehaving a comb arranged to register with alternate parts of the fixedcomb and to prevent the use of the type-bar with other parts of thefixed comb, in combination with a type-bar supported and movable endwisein the vertically-oscillatin g frame, which typebar has serrated 0rpointed type, substantially as described.

6. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a bell 39, secured to astationary part of the machine, a swinging lever-clapper 40, a spring 46bearing against and actuating the clapper, a rod 42 so hinged on thefree arm of the lever-clapper as to swing freely in one direction and tobe rigid to the clapper against swinging thereon in the other direction,and an arm 44 adjustable on the guiderod I on the paper-carryin gcarriage, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI J. ODELL.

Vitnesses:

J MoKAv, OMA ODELL.

